The Running Nutritionist

I am a nutritionist, so therefore, I enjoy being healthy. One way of doing that is by running. I run to be fit, to relieve stress, and to just have fun. Learn all about my running (and nutrition) adventures here!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Today is my busy day at home. I sleep in, have breakfast and coffee, then get to work! I have 3 loads of laundry and I clean my apartment thoroughly (most of the time). I also like to constitute Sunday as my long run day. Since I sleep in I don't have a chance to run outside before it gets unbearably hot, so I usually go to the gym and just knock it out on the treadmill, but last week I did an afternoon run at the park and realized I'm a little too out of shape to be running a half marathon in just 6 weeks! Yikes! So, today I plan to do my long run outside, on the hills, and in the heat. However, I would like to wait until it cools off later this evening. It's just really hard to go through the day with that long run hanging over my head; especially when I know I could just go run it out on the treadmill...that'd be easier, too! Oh well, I have to do this for my benefit, so I don't just fall out and die in Savannah. I'm hoping that running in Florida's heat will make Savannah in November easier (assuming Savannah will be cool by then).

This week the boyfriend makes the big move to Orlando! :) I'm very excited, but I know that it will probably throw off my running schedule since we'll be trying to get everything organized and situated. Hopefully, I can still get most of the runs in, but we'll see.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ten years ago today I was in 8th grade, and I had just gotten to my 2nd period class for the day, which was P.E. After changing into our P.E. clothes and lining up for roll-call, my teacher, Ms. Blagburn told us that we would go to the library for the period because the World Trade Center in NYC had been hit by a plane. At 13 I didn't even know the World Trade Center was. I didn't understand what she meant by a plane crashing into the building, was it on accident? Was it planned? I guess you can consider it a blessing that being from the USA I had never heard the term "terrorist." Because of our soldiers fighting for our freedom since the day this country was founded, I had never had to deal with terrorists or attacks in our country. We went to the library and watched the coverage of the crisis, and sat in disbelief while the second plane hit the tower. Our teachers were crying and talking, we all were just sitting there in confusion. Why was this happening? What did these people do to deserve this? Who was doing this?

The older I got the more I understood what happened on September 11, 2001. I got the opportunity to go to NYC in Spring 2003 and see Ground Zero. I remember feeling mad when I saw all the names of the people who lost their lives listed around the fence protecting the grounds. I was mad that our country, after everything our service members had endured throughout history, was still having to go through this. How did we allow these people in our country? We pride ourselves with being the Land of the Free, but does that mean that we'll let just anybody in our country to steal what is ours? I still feel that way today. Our military is still fighting for Freedom, for rights to do what we please, say what we feel and we still have issues with people from other countries coming in and taking what belongs to us, citizens, to our soldiers, to our soldiers' families. I guess life isn't fair in that way. The USA is the "melting pot," always has been, always will be. Our ancestors that founded our country were immigrants looking for a new beginning, a fresh start, and Freedom to believe what they wanted to believe. Because we have citizens willing to fight for these freedoms and stand up for what we all want, our country will always be desired by others who can't enjoy these things in their country. It's flattering in a way, even though it's frustrating in other ways. May we be able to show these new immigrants what real Patriotism means. We showed them that in adversity and crisis and tragedy we can stand together, but may we show them that in our Freedom we stand together, as Americans.

Thank you servicemen and women for all you've done, all you do, and for all you'll continue to strive for.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

I don't feel very much like a blogger because I never put up pictures. I'm a horrible picture taker anyway, so it just doesn't seem reasonable for me to promise more pictures when I doubt they'll happen.

I went home for the weekend! I wish I had taken an extra day from work because my trips always seem so short. Friday afternoon my mom picked me up at the airport and took me to see my cousin, Teri and her husband, Matt's new baby girl, Pyper. She's so sweet and cuddly. I love newborns because they just curl up on your chest and sleep. While I was there, one of my best friends from high school, Meya, whom also was a majorette with Teri and me dropped in, so it was a lot of fun catching up with those 2. After we left Teri and Matt's we went directly to my brother's house so I could snatch up my nephew, the Butterbean named Travis and steal all his kisses! He's just the sweetest and most adorable chubby-cheeked baby I've ever seen. I may be a little biased, but I doubt you'll think so when you see his picture! :) My boyfriend, Jonathan drove down from the big town of Double Springs, AL to have dinner with my family and me. My mom and I ended up having a few margaritas at dinner and pulled out her old music from the 70s for a dance party! Saturday I drove up to Double Springs to visit Jonathan's family and my BFF/co-blogger, Rainie, met me there! I missed her so much, and I was so happy I got to see her! I'm pretty sure I talked her ear off even though we still talk at least once a week. It's just different when you see someone than when you're on the phone, ya know? Sunday was filled with more family stuff and hanging out with my grandparents who are going a little crazy in their old age, but I guess that keeps it interesting right? I love my family so much, and I'm so glad I got to spend a lot of time with them. However, it just reminds me how much I want to be at home not missing all these things that go on. I've got to get through this internship before I go home, though, because more than anything I want to be a RD. My nephew, aka: Butterbean :)

I hope everyone's weekend was as great as mine, although it's a tough one to beat. :)

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hey Y'all! < I feel like being very Alabamian today, because I'm getting so PUMPED for football season! Even if I will be in Florida with all these nasty Gators and Seminoles fans...ROLL TIDE 4 LIFE!!!! :) This weekend has been pretty fun considering I had no plans and have been completely by myself since I left work Friday afternoon. Yesterday after posting about my miserable "fat day" on Friday I got my butt off the couch and did a 6 mile run at the gym while watching ESPN to get caught up on the predictions for week 1 of college football! See, I'm telling ya I'm ready!

I did some shopping after a shower and lunch, but I didn't buy anything except a new book. My favorite part of the weekend is grocery shopping. I know this probably is the main thing that sets nutritionists away from other people in the world because I remember my mom always complaining about having to do grocery shopping. Honestly, I've always loved it, even when she didn't. I loved wandering around looking at all the veggies in the produce section and being cold in the dairy section. I also love to look in my refrigerator when it's full and colorful. It just makes me feel good. It reminds me why I struggle so hard in public health....because eventually I'll be able to do what I enjoy doing with food. Hopefully, I'll be able to help people who live in areas where they can't enjoy looking into a colorfully stocked refrigerator. Public health is just a stepping stone.

Well, my apartment has been cleaned top to bottom and I'm about to do my nails and get ready for the VMA's on MTV tonight. :)

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The only friend I've made down here that I have an uber amount of stuff in common with is moving today to Tampa. :( I'm really happy for her because she's starting her Dietetic Internship, but she'll be gone for 9 months. Tampa is only about 2 hours away, but it will be hard for us to meet up if we ever can because she's going to be sooo busy. But, when she finishes the internship she'll be able to sit for the RD Exam! :) So, this weekend I have no plans! I need to go to the gym because I didn't go yesterday, and I have to get groceries and shop for my mom's birthday gift, but it's just not as much fun to go shopping without Brecken here. Yes, I'm throwing a pity party.

Yesterday was a "fat day" for me..I complained about my weight to myself all day long yet I didn't go workout after work and I ordered pizza for dinner. I probably took in a billion calories yesterday! ugh! It's so hard to always be motivated. I got my official registration confirmation for the Savannah Half Marathon yesterday, so I'm no longer registered for the Full. That was hard to swallow, but I know it's better for my well-being and to ensure that I'll be injury free. I'm hoping I can do a full marathon in the spring...there's some cool ones in Florida. :) Meanwhile, I'm really looking forward to running 13.1 in Savannah!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm going to get this day started and crawling out of my pity.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I got an email last week from my boss telling me that the Pasco County Health Department in Florida has put up the new application for the 2011-2012 Dietetic Internship. This is the moment I've been waiting for since I took this job in January! I have a lot of things to get done before the application is due in December, but I'm so excited about it! It will feel good to kind of be doing "school" things again, since I still feel like that's what I should be doing. I don't feel old enough to be working a full-time salary job. It's just a strange feeling. I've got to decide which locations I want to apply for, too! You can pick 3 out of 5 options: Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, and Palm Beach. I'm kind of leaning towards Palm Beach as #1, what do you think?

As far as my training for Savannah goes...it's not going very well. I actually sent an email requesting to change my registration to the half marathon instead of the full. :( I just don't have it in me right now to train for a full marathon. I'm excited about the half, though! I think it will be fun, and my mom and grandmother are going to meet me in Savannah for that weekend, so it'll be a nice weekend! I've been focusing on keeping my weekly runs to 3-4 miles with some weights, too, and doing a long-run on the weekends 5-6 miles. I'll gradually increase that to do 2 10 mile runs before the half. Easy does it, right?

I'm flying back to Alabama in 2 weeks for the Labor Day weekend and for my mom's birthday! It'll be a short trip, but fun, and I'll get to see my cousin's new baby and my sweet nephew! :) Two weeks after that Jonathan moves down! I can't wait until that happens...I'm sure I'll have great things to blog about then.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

I'm such a terrible blogger. I haven't posted anything in so long, but I read everyone else's every day! It seems like I always blog when I get to feeling blue..not good for those of you who do read this! :/

I think I told you that I registered for the Savannah, GA Rock N Roll Marathon on November 5, didn't I? Well, I'm 3 weeks into training (13 weeks from race day), and I cannot find the motivation/determination/gumption to train! What is wrong with me? Why can't I be a good runner? My friend Leah loooves to run, and she's the reason I started running races, why can't I looove it like her? I think I just want a relaxed workout schedule instead of feeling like I HAVE to go for a run. What if I want to go to cycling 2 times in a week? I want to be able to have that, and if I don't want to workout one day I don't want to feel like I'm falling behind on training. Now I know I've paid money for this race, and I have booked a hotel for that weekend, so I'm hoping I'll be able to change from the full marathon to the half. That's such a great distance for me. I really like it, and I don't feel overwhelmed with training. But, then there's the pride that comes in, and I know a few people who are running the half, and I don't want to do the same as them...I want to do MORE! I'm awful. I'll keep you posted on what happens...or at least I'll try. :)